Of all the weddings we’ve been part of, this one takes the cake for most adventurous. Since starting our business, I’ve dreamed of shooting a wedding on the summit of a Colorado “Fourteener” (local verbiage for mountains that extend above 14,000 feet in elevation). Colorado Fourteeners can be intense – they generally require an alpine start in the cold before the sun is up, there can be afternoon thunderstorms, they can involve scrambling and technical climbing, and the hikes are always unrelentingly steep. In other words, the perfect spot for an adventurous elopement for some Colorado locals like Monique and Craig.

Hannah and Ryan’s intimate wedding on a pond in Bethel, Maine represented their family, their values, and their unique love in a way that was so personal and intentional. Hannah got ready in her family’s home that was built in the 1800s and they said their vows in the woods by a lake. All the guests stayed in the lodge nearby. There was a candlelit dinner of tacos and wine under the stars. There was dancing under string lights and a cake covered in greenery. It felt like one big family dinner, but a little dressed up with vintage candlesticks and wildflowers.

Danielle & Cody eloped at Sapphire Point, an overlook on Lake Dillon with wide open views of the 10 Mile Range surrounding Breckenridge. They said their vows in front of their parents and Danielle’s three girls. 

A beautifully free and adventurous wedding near the shore of Lake Tahoe including a hiking first look and the sweetest pups as groomsmen in the wedding party.

Kelsey and Cody and came from Nebraska, along with their friends & family, to say their vows amidst the alpine tundra and tall pine trees that make up the landscape above 11,000 ft in the Rocky Mountains. Arapahoe Basin is a busy ski resort in the winter, and in the summer they allow weddings at a restaurant high up on the mountain, accessible by chair lift. Its an experience all of its own to be there

Never has a wedding felt more wildly adventurous and still so intimately personal at the same time.

Kylie and Eitan's family traveled from all over the U.S. to a secret little corner of the mountains in Ouray, Colorado to explore dirt roads, hike through wildflowers, and ford a creek – all in suits and dresses. 

We met Jonathan & Kathleen several months back at a brewery. We talked about work and life over beers, and Nate and I walked away that evening inspired by the lightness and humility these two carry with them. Their wedding reflected all of that just the same. It was simple, yet stunning. Small & intimate, yet warm & important. Kathleen & Jonathan curated their wedding day to represent the most special parts of their lives—their families, their love for food & wine, and their adventurous & lighthearted love for each other.

April messaged me a few months ago saying her husband Clint was going to be in Buena Vista for work and she might be tagging along with him and asked if we'd be free to do a photo session with them. In planning it all she asked if there was anywhere I'd been dying to shoot. I told her about one of my favorite spots that's basically in our backyard – this area with giant granite boulders, piñon pines, tiny cactus, and views of the Collegiate Peaks. The area kind of has a Joshua Tree National Park vibe, but with juniper trees instead of joshua trees. Its kind of a well-kept secret in the area. 

Elizabeth and Tyler chose to get married at what might be the most beautiful wedding venue in Colorado – Dunton Hot Springs – where they housed all of their guests, soaked in hot springs, hiked around the mountains, and ate the most incredible food all weekend. Dunton is a legendary place. Its an old ghost town that's been completely renovated. Set way back in the mountains several miles down a dirt road, it feels rustic & secluded, while also nodding to modern taste – the collection of contemporary photography hanging on the walls made my art student heart so happy. The place is stunning in all aspects.

Kristin and Scott's wedding felt so right. so pure. They rented a house for all of their friends and family in Breckenridge and had their ceremony in the backyard, surrounded by aspens and pine trees. It was perfectly intimate in this way that made Nate and me feel like just another part of the family. 

The longer Nate and I pursue adventure weddings & elopements, the more that we see this trend of super epic photos in crazy epic places. Dresses flowing in the wind, sunsets on 1000 foot cliffsides, tiny couples on a huge mountain. Which is awesome, because as a self-proclaimed adventurous couple, we love going to those places and taking those types of photos (heck we have that stuff plastered all over our website). But often times I think there's something lost in the "bigness" of it all.

Utah is full of hidden arches, funky rock formations, and endless corners of sandstone to explore. I'm so inspired every time we're there because of the vast, unique landscapes around every bend in the road. This time we got to explore a part of Utah we'd never been to before: Capitol Reef National Park.

When Heather & Emerson reached out to us for their anniversary session, I asked what they were hoping the day would look like. She described wanting to maybe do a hike and read letters to each other somewhere along the way. I sent a few location options, and the one they decided on was probably the most difficult option. They knew full-well what they were getting into--hiking several miles up to a summit almost 12,000ft above sea level. 

There is truly nothing like standing in the snow above treeline in Colorado. Feeling the wind whip through your hair, the biting cold on your skin, and seeing mountaintops that go on for miles is a humbling experience all of its own. Add to that reading your vows at 12,000 ft and its difficult to not have an overwhelming emotional response. Charlie & Larissa strapped snow spikes on their hiking boots, threw a bottle of champagne in their daypack, and hiked up the ridge to an overlook above Loveland Pass, Colorado where they said their vows. It was equally beautiful and adventurous.

Colorado is wild. Its weather is unpredictable, its mountains are inspiring, and in the spring it shows off that untamed beauty all at once with windy storms and swollen rivers and snow that seems like it came from nowhere. When it comes to the weather, there are two types of people--those who are reasonably cautious and stay indoors when there are storms, and those who strap on their boots, grab their skis, and head up the mountains. Marisa and John are definitely the latter. 

There is something simple and profound about the way these two love. 

There's no denying that Nate and I love landscapes--epic sunsets, elopements in the desert, adventurous weddings on a mountain--all of these things sort of define our work to a degree. While we love shooting those things, lately there's part of us that craves the subtleties of understated moments.